


Golden King

by ArcanisRune



Category: Fate/EXTRA
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood and Injury, Breaking the Rules of the Moon Cell War, Defying the King of Heroes, F/M, Falling in darkness, Gilgamesh being... well... Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh does a bad but it's Gilgamesh so that's to be expected, Gilgamesh doesn't listen to Hakuno obviously, Gilgamesh put some clothes on, Hair-pulling, Hakuno actually has memories you guys., Hakuno broke the rules, Hakuno goes by a different name, Hakuno uses an outdated meme, Hakuno vs Wall. Who wins?, Hearing Voices, In which Gilgamesh actually feels pity, In which Hakuno thinks she's cursed, Initial Protagonist has an actual name, Multiple Voices, Nudity, Rating will change, Shinji being Shinji, Shinji gets what's coming to him, backhanded compliments galore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2021-01-27 15:14:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21394282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArcanisRune/pseuds/ArcanisRune
Summary: Kishinami Hakuno, under the name of Satou Yuri, follows the Initial Protagonist and Leo. Fated to die in the preliminaries, she pulls herself back to her feet and defies her own fate. When assigned a Nameless Servant, her defiance breaks the boundaries of the Moon Cell and summons Gilgamesh instead. Passing the preliminaries, she becomes one of 128 Masters in the battle to gain the Holy Grail.An Alternative Timeline to Fate/Extra, a "What if Gilgamesh could be summoned" and taking place over the course of the game. Many things will change.
Relationships: Gilgamesh/Kishinami Hakuno
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25





	1. The King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, Summoned!

**Author's Note:**

> Updating Pyre became a chore due to losing save data. Oops. But I decided to write this because uh... I've been fixating heavily on Gilgamesh for like the past few days and this plot bunny would not leave me alone. I hope NaNoWriMo inspires me to see this fic to completion.
> 
> This is a heavy canon divergence from Fate/EXTRA, so a lot of creative liberties will happen. I just hope I can make it entertaining enough...

The entire world felt fuzzy, like there was a static overlay in front of her eyes. She could see her classmate, Adachi Jirou, running after the boy in the orange uniform-- Leo. Following after them, she had went to call out when Jirou came to a sudden stop. She, too, stopped and listened. It sounded as if Leo was talking to Jirou but no, he was talking directly to _her._ The tone of his voice even said as much. Leo disappeared first, after saying “see you later”, and then Jirou vanished after. She paused at the wall, running a finger down it with one hand clutched to her chest.

This was where they disappeared, she knew it. She wanted to know what was behind it, what she would be witnessing... And thus, a door appeared as if the school structure had completely changed. Walking through it, she thinks back to what had happened before. Today, she'd woken twice as fast. Today, she had realized that the days were _looping._ Ryuudo Issei had run through his spiel and was apparently her best friend... though she didn't remember ever having him as a friend.

She knew this had happened so many times.

“Welcome, potential Master.”

The voice breaks her from her thoughts. The storeroom had a strange doll in it. Potential Master? As if knowing her thoughts, the voice continued. “Yes, potential Master. You are one of many who have the potential to participate... but only if you can prove yourself. This _effigy_ will be your sword and shield for the trials to come.”

The doll in the room came to life at the voice's words, and stared at her. She looked back at it. If there had been any doubt, it was no longer there. The two of them walk into the distortion in the wall, and come across an empty space with a blue walkway. It seemed endless, but she knew she had to keep going. The scenery changed as she continued forward, and soon she came across a chapel. The ending of her journey. She noticed the body on the ground and gasped, stepping back. Beside Jirou, who was now dead and colourless, was an effigy. Was that effigy his? As if answering her question, the effigy stood up and turned to face her before slowly going to attack.

“G-go!” Pointing shakily at the effigy, her own effigy flew in to combat. Unfortunately, the pattern for Jirou's effigy wasn't easy for her to figure out and her effigy was defeated. She felt a pain in her chest, and Jirou's effigy struck her hard. Enough to draw blood. She coughed, blood speckling onto the ground. It was cold, so _cold._ This was death... and yet..

“N-no... This... this can't be it...” She wheezed out. It took effort to cling to consciousness. That was when she noticed all the bodies around her. All the failed Masters, like her... All the people who had died before she did. The voice declared the preliminaries over, and had hoped she could find peace in her demise. But this _couldn't_ be it. She refused.

_She refused to give up._

Even with all the pain she felt, as if her entire body was being ripped to shreds, she found it in her to stand back up instead of die uselessly on the ground. Her uniform was stained with her own blood, and it trickled from her mouth as well. She was losing blood, and yet she was standing tall. _She was refusing to die._

“I... refuse...”

The voice crackled in, and she stared up at the ceiling defiantly. “...How unprecedented. Though you stand at the brink of death, you refuse to give up. Then, for a nameless Master... I will give you a nameless Servant.”

“My name is Satou Yuri!” She yelled. “I am not _nameless!_ I am a person!”

The world crackled, distorted and her hand _burned._ It ached. It hurt. “I will not be degraded as such!!”

From the panels in the floor gave rise to a golden-clad man. His hair was spiked, as if a golden flame, and his armour was the most gaudy part of him. The glass shatters, and Yuri stares at the man who stood before her, bathed in the light from above. It seemed the voice was at a loss for words, as they had no comment. An unforseen circumstance, that such a powerful Servant could be pulled from the Far Side with just sheer force of will. An unforseen capability within this nameless master, who claims herself to be named Satou Yuri. As she stared at the golden man, he merely walked past her to the noise that had come from behind her.

Behind her?

Yuri turned around, hand covering her wound. The golden man stood in front of her, as if he was her shield. As if he was her sword. From a golden portal he pulled a sword out, and she could only stand there as the man engaged in combat with the effigy, without her commanding him. With a few precise strikes, the effigy crumbled. She could only watch in awe as the sword vanished back into a golden portal. She didn't feel any less cold, but...

“....I see. So you've broken the boundaries of our rules, Satou Yuri.” The voice was cold, and Yuri winced. “But those Command Seals on your hand is proof of you being a Master, and having contracted with a Servant. Use them all, and you lose your place in the Holy Grail War. You will die.”

“Be silent,” the golden-clad man commanded. “You have no place to talk here.”

“Gilgamesh. By rights, you are not to be here on the Near Side. This girl pulled past who I had assigned her, and brought _you_ forth from the Far Side.” The voice sneered. And, as if scolding a child, it continued. “It is not 'the most powerful' that will stand at the end but the one who has endured the most, climbed the bodies of their fallen comrades to reach the top.”

Climb the... bodies? Yuri looked back up at the swirling void above. Was this what she had gotten herself into...?

“You-” And yet he was cut off again.

“Satou Yuri, congratulations for breaking the system and summoning the Servant we had not contracted you. From here on, you will fight. Now leave, before I decide to punish the both of you for this breach of rules.”

It was then that the two of them were forcibly pushed out of the area, and into the storeroom where Yuri had first met the effigy. Jirou had died, and yet she had survived by sheer _luck_. The Servant she had, Gilgamesh, was merely standing there with his arms folded across his chest. Staring at her with cold, ruby eyes that could kill a man if he so chose.

The two didn't speak, which was unusual for Gilgamesh. He could see the blood staining her uniform, dripping onto the floor, and yet he didn't offer her any help. She had pulled him from his slumber, one he had _just_ fallen into, and he had taken the anger he had felt from being disturbed out on the effigy that had threatened to attack her.

Uncharacteristic of him, to be certain. He had many questions, many _words_. She didn't speak to him, but only gazed upon him. Usually, he would have placed restrictions on her for being such a lowly mongrel unworthy of looking at him... and yet, there was something pitiful about her. For once in his entire life, Gilgamesh didn't _feel_ like putting down any restrictions. It was a graceful courtesy from the King of Heroes himself, and she should be _grateful._

“Sa...Sakura...” Pulling the door open, that was the first word out of her mouth. The AI started, before rushing over to her. Dematerializing, he merely watched as Sakura helped Yuri out of her bloodstained clothes. Impure, unreasonable, a pervert. Those would be the words said in this modern day, the days that men and women alike were ashamed of showing their bodies and continually confine them to clothing day in and day out.

There was little protest from Yuri as she was stripped bare and her wounds tended to. The bleeding was stopped, and she was bandaged and given fresh, new clothes. Made to lay in a bed, the girl drifted off to sleep not too long after she was put there. Her determination to stay alive had been what had kept her on her feet this entire time. Gilgamesh had to admit to himself that it was admirable. For someone so young to be so feisty, it brought back memories of his own youth.

An equal.

Perhaps she had the capability to stand beside him as an equal, or perhaps that was the pity talking. Walking over to her bedside, he frowned just slightly as he saw a missed speck of blood. It was easily taken care of, but if she were to be his... _Master_, then she was to be in top condition. Enough to serve a king such as himself, that is!

It was a couple days later when Yuri awoke, blinking sleep from her eyes and sitting up. Looking around, she couldn't see anyone in the room with her. Her clothes had gone from the simple uniform to a soft, beige cardigan sweater, a sleeveless black turtleneck, a pleated grey skirt with her usual stockings. Those were the only things that remained from her old outfit, and she silently wondered who had changed her clothes. The sweater was a blessing, though, as she noted how cold it was in the room. Probably to keep things cool, but...

Where... where was the golden-clad man, Gilgamesh? She didn't see him anywhere...

As if answering her silent summons, he appeared near her bedside. “Two days. Though, it is to be expected with your wound from the effigy. You have remarkable determination, but that is all you have going for you.” It was a backhanded compliment, and a bad one at that. It was as if he wasn't accustomed to giving such things. Though, in that respect, was it so bad to give compliments to get used to it? Regardless...

“I didn't want to die, that's all.” Something they had in common. In life, after witnessing the death of his one and only friend, he too had not wanted to die. But she had stared defiantly in the face of death and pulled him from his slumber. “So, you're right, I guess. All I have going for me is my determination.”

She wasn't upset at that, instead looking at him with brown eyes that held questions that she wouldn't say. He frowned just slightly, eyes narrowing as he looked upon her. She was filled with the will to live, and the bravery to stare straight at him without asking for his permission to do so. It was then that he laughed while she looked on.

“You're Gilgamesh, my Servant, correct?” Yuri asked.

“I did not give you permission to speak, mongrel.” Gilgamesh responded. Her cheeks puffed out, and she stood up.

“I don't need permission to speak!” She said. Her defiance was endearing. Like a puppy learning how to bark, a kitten learning how to meow. Adorable and endearing. Gilgamesh found himself pausing. Usually he would destroy those who would defy him so, but there was something different about her. It wasn't the bond of Servant and Master that made him think that. It was the first time he'd found himself wondering what her difference to the other mongrels were.

And it was, in that respect, _infuriating_.

“Oh? So you don't, then?” He leaned in towards her. “Then tell me, mongrel. Why do you speak to your _king_ in such a tone?”

“...Er-” Aha! He got her to stop! With a smirk that called himself the victor of this argument, Gilgamesh straightened himself back up. As she tried to come up with an answer, he dematerialized. Yet, Yuri could feel his presence nearby. The door to the nurse's office opened, and in walked Matou Sakura.

“Oh, Yuri. You're awake.” Slipping on her shoes, Yuri went to walk towards Sakura. “Your memories should have returned, so please review them to see if everything's in order.”

Upon hearing that, Yuri paused for a moment and reached out for her memories. It was hazy at first, but soon they organized themselves. She remembered playing with her father's tools, getting grounded for doing so, and the events leading up to her coming to the Moon Cell itself. An orphan by circumstance, she just wanted what was needed to survive...

“My memories are in order,” Yuri stated plainly. Trying not to let the emotion show on her face. The devastation that had left her orphaned had been great, and the cause of war. She was only nineteen years old, and surviving was hard enough for her in this world without anyone to care for her.

“Then that's good. Please, take this.” Sakura held out a terminal, which Yuri put in a pocket. “It is your terminal. You will be notified on it, so please make sure to keep it on you at all times. You should go find Father Kotomine and talk to him.”

With a small nod, Yuri left the nurse's office and headed out into the hallways. Finding Father Kotomine was difficult, as she didn't see him anywhere... not even on the roof! Though, she had found Tohsaka Rin on the roof. That encounter had left a sour taste in her mouth. Bland, plain, boring enough to be an NPC. Was that really what she was? Shaking it out of her head, she headed back downstairs to find Father Kotomine talking with Fujimura Taiga.

“Excuse me- Are you Father Kotomine?” Yuri asked. She could hear Gilgamesh scoff as if it was the most _obvious_ answer in the world. He turned to face her, and she felt a little concerned. His gaze wasn't friendly by any means, and he stared at her as if she was naught but an insect to be crushed underfoot. It was unsettling, and she had half a mind to command Gilgamesh to stop him from looking at her like that... but would he even listen to her?

“Yes. I am Father Kotomine. What is it?”

“My opponent for the first round-” She had heard about the opponents being chosen already, and yet she didn't know who hers was. “I don't know who they are. Can you tell me?”

It took him only a few moments to respond. “There's been an error. I will get you the information tomorrow. As a Master, you are given your own personal room. Yours will be Classroom 2-B. The password in your terminal will open it up. I suggest you acquaint yourself with the arena, and prepare for your battles ahead.”

With that, Kotomine left. Yuri sighed and shook her head, deciding to go see the room that she had been given. Up the stairs to Classroom 2-B, Yuri held up her terminal at the doors. As if an incantation had been said, or a hum to her ears, the doors unlocked easily and opened. Walking inside, there were desks stacked on each other in the corner of the room. And in the center, on a throne with red cloth draped over it, was Gilgamesh.

And he wasn't wearing the golden armour. In fact, he wasn't wearing _anything._

On this day, Satou Yuri collapsed to the floor in agony over the fact her Servant was naked in front of her.

“...I must be cursed.”


	2. Round 1, Day 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matou Shinji is her first opponent, and Yuri figures that he and Gilgamesh would make a good team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Outdated memes!!
> 
> I couldn't find a good stopping point, so I just did what I could. Sorry if it cuts off awkwardly.
> 
> Rating updated to M for Gilgamesh's obvious nudity.

The clanking of armour filled her ears as she moved forward in the Arena. Fight, fight, fight. That was all there was to do. But it gave her something else to think about other than Gilgamesh's blatant nudity earlier. She'd left the room muttering about finding clothes for him when he appeared by her side not seconds later once she left, clad in his gaudy golden armour. For a few moments, Yuri thought to strip him of said armour but that would leave her with him in... nothing, again. So she had thought against it.

Enemy programs created by SE.RA.PH and a bee-like enemy stood in their way. And Gilgamesh easily dispatched them before staring down the bee. It stared back, unflinchingly, and it was annihilated almost as easily. Swallowing thickly, as if there was something caught in her throat, Yuri pressed onward. Taiga had asked if she could find the Kendo Sword when she'd come back downstairs, and Yuri couldn't say no. Not with the puppy dog look the teacher had given her. Retrieving it was simple, as none of the enemies were a challenge for her Servant.

But he did only what he wanted to, and sometimes laughed as she got chased about by a rogue program before he got bored and eliminated it. Truly, the ultimate Servant was the oldest bully in history. Regardless of that fact, he was capable in combat without her orders. It was just as if she was a tag-along...

….A tag along...

The day ended as Yuri and Gilgamesh left the Arena. Heading up to her room, she realized that they didn't exactly have a _bed._ Where was she going to sleep? The floor? Opening the door to her room with the terminal yet again and walking inside, she ignored Gilgamesh and started pulling desks off of each other. If there was no bed, she'd make one for herself. Gilgamesh, his nudity and his throne be damned! Which reminded her-

“Ignoring me?” Yuri yelped as she heard Gilgamesh's voice _too close_ to her. “You would ignore your king to destroy his property? How-” And she felt his hand grasp her hair- “-_stupid_.”

Pain. Pain, pain, pain. He pulled her back and she crashed to the floor. Her scalp ached, and there was a headache brewing. Abusive- That's what he was! An abusive Servant, who laid his hands on his Master. It hurt, it hurt, it hurt. Yuri pulled herself to a sitting position, and stared up at her imposing Servant. “You are not to destroy this room in any way, mongrel. I _forbid_ it.”

Stupid, stupid golden servant. This was certainly karmic retribution for breaking the rules. He returned to his throne, the punishment served accordingly. Gilgamesh knew she wouldn't be trying that again, not with the threat of that happening again nor the fact she was _forbidden_ from ruining this room in any way. The night passed without any other incident, Yuri curled into a corner of the room and using her cardigan as a pillow to rest. When morning came, her body ached and she felt like she'd only slept an hour. Gilgamesh, on the other hand, looked as if he'd slept well. Karma was definitely biting back at her for this..

She really was cursed, wasn't she?

There was no class anymore due to the start of the Holy Grail War, so her terminal went off the moment she stepped outside the room. The combatants had been chosen, and the preparation week had begun. The bulletin board had the names of the combatants fighting each other, so Yuri found herself walking towards it and looking. Her name was on there, and so was...

_Matou Shinji?!_

“Looks like you survived after all.” Shinji came up from behind her, and she turned to face him. “How _about_ that.” His voice was filled with malice already. Yuri didn't like his tone whatsoever, but it was normal for him to act all high and mighty like this.

“And you're my first opponent. I'm surprised that _you_ managed to qualify in this War.” And there it was. Yuri was reminded of the wound she received in the preliminaries, and it was only by sheer luck she had survived to this point. Sheer luck, and _rulebreaking_. “For all I know, you could be an extremely powerful magus in disguise. Even if we're friends, I'm of a much higher power level than you!”

“...Over nine thousand?” Yuri asked, brown eyes looking him over. “You don't look like Goku.”

“Gah! Don't bring up your stupid outdated memes!” Shinji stomped his foot on the ground. What a brat. “You barely even made it through the preliminaries! You're just a charity case, Satou, and I'll make sure you go down in our fight!”

With that outburst, Shinji left. Yuri sighed. She'd go to the library to pass time and read up on exactly what sort of Heroic Spirit she got stuck with. But there was only an empty book titled “The Epic of Gilgamesh” on the shelves. How strange. It was as if the Moon Cell was making it impossible for her to learn just what kind of Servant she had contracted with, and she put the book away with a sigh. Evening came, and with it came another jaunt into the Arena.

The primary cipher key had been generated an hour ago, and she had to go collect it to proceed in the tournament. Shinji had taunted her, telling her he was going in as well to get his own key. Wishing her luck, with the sarcasm dripping from his voice, he left her behind as he headed into the Arena itself. Materializing beside her was Gilgamesh, who had finally decided to show himself. Yuri glanced over at him, and noted how his eyes were narrowed. He was staring off after Shinji.

“Bold, how very bold!” A laugh escaped him, though Yuri noted it wasn't the same joyful laugh as she'd started to grow accustomed to. Gilgamesh wasn't in a good mood, it seemed. “I will teach him to talk to his king like that!”

“...Gilgamesh, don't. We can't fight him in the Arena, and I certainly don't want to get a downgrade to my ranking.” Yuri said. “If I get downgraded, I think you do too.”

His gaze turned to her, and she could feel the intensity of his gaze. Taking a breath, Yuri walked towards the Arena as Gilgamesh dematerialized and followed after. The two of them arrived in the Arena, and she looked around. Not too far from the entrance was Shinji... as well as someone else. His Servant, perhaps? Defeating the two programs in their way was basically like breathing to Gilgamesh, even without her commanding him. Not that he would listen to her, due to being a king. It was as if their roles were different, but the Command Seals could bring him to listen to her...

But they were precious, so she would only use them if absolutely necessary.

“You're late, Yuri.” Shinji put his hands on his hips with a smirk. “Crawling about like the slug you are made it easy for me to get the Trigger!” At that, Yuri's eyes narrowed and she took a step forward. The action caused Shinji to laugh aloud. “You and your second-rate servant- Oh, that look you're giving me is _s c a r y_!”

“If battles weren't forbidden in the Arena, I'd punch your face right now.” They were no longer friends after all, so she didn't have to hold back on her thoughts like she used to. “But, I'd rather not get downgraded for assaulting the _great_ Matou Shinji.”

“Such a stickler for rules!” Shinji sneered at her. Yuri bristled at that, ready to punch him. Her hand curled into a fist, and she took another step forward. Gilgamesh was standing there, observing this and not really putting in any input. “You're going to lose this fight, so I'll introduce my Servant just to make things a little more... _equal._” He gestured to the woman beside him. “You won't even be able to get those Cipher Keys of yours, so it's practically game over for you!”

“Shinji, one more word out of your idiot mouth and I'll-”

“Oh, but I was enjoying his meaningless chatter.” The woman beside Shinji, his Servant, spoke. “You can tell my Master is socially inept when it comes to talking to others, right? And here I thought we could resolve things peacefully if you two were talking.”

Yuri paused, taking a better look at the servant. She was beautiful, and the size of her chest had Yuri hovering her hands over hers. Size difference... And how did Shinji contract this Servant? Maybe if Yuri had contracted her instead of her insufferable servant who liked yanking on her hair--!

“Would you quit analyzing me and maim her already?!” The sound of Shinji's order to his Servant made her break out of her thought process as a gun was pointed directly at her. It was then, and only then, that Gilgamesh intervened by blocking the shot with just a hand. Shinji stared, and the Servant scowled.

_Confrontations between Masters in the Arena are prohibited._ The area was glowing red as the message was read off by an inhuman voice. Gilgamesh and the Servant, without either of their Masters saying so, had engaged in combat. Yuri could hear him complimenting her, and she was rebuking his advances. So, that was the type of person Gilgamesh liked? Or was his type? Strangely enough, Yuri felt a pit in her stomach.

“H-hey, stop your Servant!” Shinji commanded her. Yuri looked over at him.

“...You stop yours.” Yuri retorted.

“No, yours started it!”

“Yours pointed a gun in my face.”

_Terminating hostilities. _Both Gilgamesh and the Servant were forced out of combat, and Shinji ran over to his Servant while Yuri stayed in place. Nothing happened, but it seemed that Shinji didn't like the fact SE.RA.PH had stopped him short of eliminating her right here and now. He and his Servant left the arena, which gave Gilgamesh and Yuri time to explore and find the first Cipher Key. Acquiring it was simple, though her own Servant seemed to enjoy watching her run away from rogue programs a lot... It was very strange, in all honesty, that the two of them had come into a contract.

Perhaps Gilgamesh would have been better suited to Shinji. Their personalities were quite similar, and yet here she was with a Servant who didn't even acknowledge her worth as a Master.

Reviewing the information in the Matrix on her terminal that night as Gilgamesh slept, Yuri wondered what class Shinji's Servant was. An Archer? Or was it something else? For now, she just input the Servant's class as 'Archer?', due to not knowing what her classification was. Once she knew that, she could think of a strategy to take down the Servant...

If her own Servant listened to her, of course. Putting the terminal away, she curled up and looked at the sleeping king. Questions formed in her mind, though she knew none of them would be answered by her Servant or the blank book in the library that held his name. Though, she had to wonder why he made no comment about that at all when she came across it. Perhaps because it was empty? Or perhaps because he was disinterested in such a thing?

Falling into an uncomfortable sleep, only one question remained on Yuri's mind.

_Why did I have to summon such a Servant?_


	3. Shinji's Blunders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes Matou Shinji doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut.

“Someone actually managed to summon Armstrong.”

Shinji's voice caught Yuri's attention, and she walked over to where he was talking to... someone. Ah, Tohsaka Rin. Her trademark hairstyle was hard to miss, and it wasn't as if Yuri was too short to see over Shinji's shoulder to her. He was boasting to Rin, and she was crushing him easily with her responses. Talking about his Servant so openly, he even mentioned an _armada._ Taking out her terminal as she listened, she input Armada under one of the words she learned.

“I wonder if the Invincible Armada might be relevant to anything. It might just piss your Servant off, right?” Yuri caught Rin saying that, and Shinji made a feeble attempt at a comeback before turning around and noticing her. Realizing that she'd been listening, Shinji made a sort of noise before leaving the area. Finishing the input of _The Invincible Armada_ where she once had the word armada, she heard Rin make a passing comment about how there were some Masters who didn't know what was at stake here.

“I have to agree,” Yuri found herself saying as she put her terminal in her pocket. “There's a lot of us who don't know what's at stake, and just joined because it seemed fun.”

Rin stopped in her tracks, turning her gaze onto Yuri. “Huh. You're more informed than I thought. It doesn't make up for anything. You're still severely lacking in the capabilities in being a Master.” She said. Though it was true, it still stung a little. Yuri gave a nervous laugh and a sheepish sort of grin. “I suppose the information you got out of Shinji was important, since I noticed you were logging it in. Think of it as a freebie, but remember. _This is a battlefield._ Turn your back, and you may find a knife in it.”

With that, Rin left. Yuri headed to the library to find out about the Invincible Armada. That information was crucial to her survival in this Holy Grail War, and she knew that it was life or death. No survivors on this battlefield, only the victor could come out on top. Finding the book on the Invincible Armada, Yuri took out her terminal and started typing out information that she read off. Spain's most powerful Navy force had been called that, so it wouldn't be too farfetched to say that Shinji's Servant was of Spanish origin.

Which had her question the origin of her own Servant. Where was he from, and what kind of life had he lead prior? Closing the book and returning it to the shelves, she asked one of the students about dual-wielding pistols. Unfortunately, neither of the answers the student gave were satisfactory. Billy the Kid? Calamity Jane? Neither of them were of Spanish origin, so that would definitely mark them off the list. The student apologized for not having the correct information, and Yuri left towards the Arena.

* * *

“So, you've qualified for the actual tournament as well.” It was Leo, the transfer student from the preliminaries. Yuri gave a small bow of respect before nodding in the affirmative. “I did remark that we would meet again, and we have.”

“We certainly have.” Responding in kind, she wondered why his Servant was out in full. Didn't most Servants just stay dematerialized? Realizing that she was staring at his Servant, he turned to the armor-clad knight.

“Ah, Gawain? How forgetful of me.” Leo gave a smile at Yuri before gesturing to his servant. “Gawain, introduce yourself.”

“I am Leo's Servant, Gawain. I am pleased to meet you, and hope you will be a worthy foe.” He was polite, which made Yuri look at the space where Gilgamesh usually lingered when he wasn't in combat or watching her be chased around by programs. He didn't materialize, so Yuri sighed and looked back at Gawain. An enigmatic smile formed on his lips, and she acquainted him to a true knight and not just one that was for show.

In the legends surrounding King Arthur, Sir Gawain had been one of the Knights of the Round Table. With prowess rivalling the king's, his holy sword was an equal match to the sword known as Excalibur. He was a Saber-class Servant, and yet... Leo had revealed his true name without even hesitating. It seemed the same with her and Gilgamesh, though her terminal classified him as a part of the Archer class... but since the beginning, she hadn't used his classification.

In that regard, she and Leo were the same.

“I must take my leave now.”

And just like that, with a wish to see her again if she didn't get eliminated, Leo left after giving her a polite bow. She returned it in kind, and looked back at where Gilgamesh stood in his dematerialized state. As she wondered why she never used his classification at all, the sound of footsteps approaching snapped her out of it. Rin, again.

“So, the Scion of the Harways entered the tournament. That's pretty bold of him.” The glare Rin had on her face was murderous, as if she had a connection to Leo. With the way she talked about him just now, it was obvious she knew him in some sort of manner. “I guess the plutocrats of Europe see a threat in SE.RA.PH... But they're risking _him..._” A murmured comment about repayment in heaven, and Yuri was lost. She really had awkward timing, it seemed.

Rin walked off muttering to herself, and Yuri was left alone with Gilgamesh. To fill the day to evening, Yuri went to the nurse's office and talked to Sakura for a while. It was odd, as Sakura gave mainly plain answers or spoke according to her programming. It was definitely just something to pass the time, though Yuri didn't treat Sakura like an NPC. No, she still appeared human so... It was only normal to treat her as just a human, correct? Yuri headed back upstairs, deciding to go to her room when she ran into Rin again.

“H-hey, watch where you're going!” Rin said as Yuri stumbled backwards. “...Oh, it's you. Guess you're getting some research in before going back to the arena?”

“I was going to go consult with my Servant, but that sounds like a better idea.”

“The library is a treasure trove of information, you know.” Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she continued. “You can't win if you know nothing about your opponent. Information is-”

“-everything in this War.” Yuri finished. “I know it is. Thanks, Rin.”

Rin laughed a little. “I could just be using you.”

“You wouldn't be helping me if you were using me.”

Rin made a strained kind of noise before turning away and walking off, muttering about something. Yuri waved as the black-haired girl left the area, and headed to the library to do some research. Though she had been planning on consulting Gilgamesh on what he possibly could know about the enemy Servant, she knew he'd probably give a few off-colour comments before telling her to shut up or something along those lines.

Opening the door to the library, she noted Shinji in there.

“Look who the cat dragged in!” Shinji said, walking up to her and putting a hand on her shoulder.

“I'm starting to really want to punch you, Shinji...” Yuri frowned. “What, decided to look up on my Servant to give yourself some sort of upper hand?”

“Hah! As if! I know all that there is to know about your Servant!” Boastful as always, Matou Shinji was the _pinnacle_ of arrogance. No, wait, that was her own Servant. So Shinji was second in being the pinnacle of arrogance. But she wished he wasn't so arrogant when it wasn't needed. Brushing his hand off her shoulder, she took a few steps around him and headed for a bookshelf. But one of the books was missing.

“Looking for something?~” Shinji teased in a sing-song voice. “I hid all the books about my Servant in the Arena! I bet a weaksauce Master like you won't be able to find them! Or even get to them!” He laughed, and Yuri found herself clenching her fist. No, she wasn't about to get her Master Rank downgraded because she felt like punching Shinji in his stupid face. She would refrain--

“OW!”

...Or not. Before she knew it, Shinji was on the ground. Her fist had connected with his face, and he was sitting there with his hand on his cheek... right where she punched him. It had taken her less than a few days to finally punch him, and she actually felt bad about it. Shaking her hand a little, hoping the sting from the punch would go away, Yuri refused to look at him. “Yuri, what the hell was that for?!”

“I'm going to the Arena.” Turning on her heel, she headed out of the Library and down the stairs. As she did so, her terminal went off and she pulled it out of her pocket. A rank downgrade, just as she had thought. For punching Shinji in his stupid face and causing him to fall over-- Wait, no. It just seemed to be a warning that if she were to assault another Master, then she would have her rank downgraded. How convenient... and lenient of the War. Suppose there was a first for everything. Putting her terminal back in her pocket, she was stopped by Taiga on her way to see Sakura.

The Kendo Sword... right, she'd forgotten she had it. Having picked it up in the Arena at some point undetermined, Yuri handed it over and was given the new task of finding a tangerine. For her troubles? A new room decoration. She wondered quite briefly if Gilgamesh would allow it, then remembered about her hair being yanked so she would quit destroying 'his room'. Biting her lower lip, Yuri agreed to get the tangerine for no reward. She didn't want Gilgamesh to hurt her again. She knew he was about, and yet he couldn't comment because of the Masters around here.

Heading to the Arena, a new floor had been added. But the second Cipher Key had yet to be generated- Until she heard her terminal go off just as she approached the doors. Pulling it out of her pocket, she noted that the message she'd gotten told her that the second key had been generated. Pushing the doors open, she headed to the second floor of the Arena.

“He hid the book here somewhere.” Yuri said as she looked to her now-materialized Servant. Gilgamesh glanced at her before looking away, bored of this already. “Without it, we really don't have a chance against his Servant.”

“Hmph.” Gilgamesh actually looked at her this time. “I don't need to know anything about her to beat her in combat.”

“That only gets us so far!” Yuri retorted, which earned her a glare from Gilgamesh. “You heard Tohsaka, information is everything and Shinji already knows everything about _you_.”

“I doubt an empty book is enough to give him any information on me.” It was as if Gilgamesh had known this entire time that the book about him was _empty._ Frowning as she watched him walk ahead without a care in the world, or maybe with the determination to see this through, Yuri wondered exactly how SE.RA.PH was dealing with her rulebreaking. Was it the enemies that fell before Gilgamesh easily, or was it the Servants? What was going to happen? What was the consequence?

Every action had one, didn't it?

“A hidden passageway.” Coming across a corridor with no path, Gilgamesh had come to a stop before pushing Yuri forward. She was going ahead instead of him this time, only because if something were to attack... it'd go after her first. He'd rescue her when he found the amusement from seeing her being chased about boring. But what was boring was that there was nothing except the book that Shinji had hidden.

“--What, you're already here, Yuri?!” Shinji seemed put out that she'd gotten to the book before he could. Holding it close to her chest, she saw no way out. “Damn. I'll just have to take the book back then!” With Gilgamesh distracted by the Servant under Shinji's command, he made a run for Yuri to snatch the book back. She ducked as she saw him coming, dodging out of the way. Without Gilgamesh, she was effectively on her own with no protection. If the Servant shot her, that was it. It was over.

“Give me that book-!”

“No!” Her foot slipped, and she found herself falling off the edge of the platform. All she could see was the ceiling and Shinji's shocked face as she fell. It was done, this was it for her. Her final days as a Master, falling off the edge of the digital sea...


	4. Infinite Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You do not exist.

The world was dark.

The book was close to her chest, held tightly as she eternally fell. She couldn't see Shinji's face, she couldn't hear the fight between Gilgamesh and Shinji's Servant. There was nothing she could see. Just infinite darkness around her. Voices whispered around her as she fell, and she couldn't make them out. They just kept whispering, talking and talking as she fell within the darkness. How long had she been falling? It felt like hours, maybe even days. Had she been eliminated? Had Gilgamesh disappeared because of her folly...? She didn't know, she didn't know. Every minute was like an hour to her.

_Who are you?_

One voice stood out from the rest. Whispering louder, making itself known.

“...S..Satou Yuri...”

_Who are you?_

“I-I just said--”

_Who are you?_

The meaningless circles caused her to clutch at her head. Who are you, who are you, who are you? There was no Satou Yuri in the database, there was no file of her existence. There was no record of a Satou Yuri ever attaching to the Moon Cell- No person named “Satou Yuri” exists.

_You do not exist._

_You do not exist._

“A-aaaa...”

The pain split her head in two, or so it felt like. The datascape is saying it over and over. _You do not exist, you do not exist, you do not exist_-

“S-someone.... Please...”

_You do not exist._

_You do not exist._

“....Please... I-I...” Yuri reached to the infinite datascape before her, the Moon Cell slowly chipping away at her sanity. At her being. At her very _core. _She doesn't exist, she doesn't exist- Through the turmoil and the pain, she could only feel a name at the tip of her tongue. Whose name? She doesn’t know, but it was there so-

“Gilgamesh, please! Please.... help...” Her body was fraying at the edges, her mind on the verge of breaking. She remembered pieces and fragments of gold, but the person she wants to save her does not come. Adrift in this sea of information, she was lost. The book, why did she have this book? It was clutched tightly and protectively against her chest. Falling, falling. Ever falling, ever hearing the voices fraying at the edges of her mind.

Her entire body felt like it was pulling apart. The book was important, for some reason. If she could get the book out, if she could save it... but why was she trying to? As she tried to figure it out, metal bit at her wrist. She could see specks of gold, but not much else. The world was still black, the world was still falling apart. And she was lost, lost within the Moon Cell itself. It was over for her... and all because she'd lost her footing. The last thought on her mind was about how stupid she'd been this entire time, before she completely lost consciousness.

Her eyes reopened what felt like minutes later, and she was in the nurse's office. How long had she been here? Who had pulled her out? The book was still clutched tightly against her chest with her left hand and her right wrist was covered in bandages. Had she gotten hurt? Her memory from the fall was hazy, but she remembered the golden glint... Had that been Gilgamesh?

Or had it been someone else entirely?

It couldn't have been Shinji, or his Servant. Perhaps it was someone else? Gilgamesh didn't really save her unless it was in his best interest to, like when she got cornered by programs and the threat of dying was close at hand. He truly was a big bully. Shifting and sitting up, she got out of bed and the world fell on its axis-- no, wait. That was her. She had collapsed onto the floor, and she couldn't even find it in her to get back up. Yuri laid there before feeling something pulling her back to her feet. A black-clothed arm...? Who was it-

“....Gilgamesh?”

He looked... different. As if he wasn't a Servant anymore, but just a normal everyday person. And he was... letting her lean against him? What was this? This wasn't the Gilgamesh she knew. In fact, it felt like an imposter, like a fake version. He usually wasn't like this. With a short sigh, he put her back on the bed and made her lay down.

“...Hey... Why are you being so nice?”

“You're no use to me dead, mongrel.” Gilgamesh said, though his voice had little bite to it like usual. “If you're to keep supplying me with mana, I need you alive. And you are _not_ allowed to die before I say you can!”

...Oh, so she had use to him. That was why he had saved her like that, right? Then... then what would it mean? That she was only there for his entertainment and every whim? It seemed that she was truly paying for what she'd done, and that was what came across to her. Nothing but Gilgamesh's little plaything, not a person...

“........I should've just taken the nameless Servant. Maybe they would've been better.” Yuri muttered as she turned her back on him in the bed. He didn't protest, oddly enough, and the bed weight shifted as he sat on it. It seemed he wasn't very bothered by the fact he was just... letting himself be revealed like that. Did Sakura know of his existence? Not that it mattered.... He was the _worst_ Servant to have contracted with. Karmic retribution at its finest, right here.

The only thing that she could think of to do was sever her contract, but that would mean that SE.RA.PH would delete her. And that would also cause her to be unable to return to the real world, right? Perhaps, but at this rate she didn't really care. Yuri was tired already of her Servant and how he was acting around her. She was just useful to him, and they weren't equals or anything of the sort. And that was what the reality of the situation was. She was lonely, and she had wanted to fight for survival... but most of all, she just wanted a form of companionship. Outside of this world, she was no one. Just an orphan of circumstance. And here, she at least was _somebody._ But with Gilgamesh, she was back to square one.

She hated it.

Yuri was released the next day, and headed out to do some research before evening. It was the day-to-day event, one she had become accustomed to even though it had been only a few days to set this routine. She kept mostly to herself and read about the Golden Hind and started making observations in her terminal about the Servant. As time passed, she went back to the empty book and opened it to see if there was any information. No, there wasn't.

But what of the journal that she had clutched desperately to?

It had given her enough information when she read through it, and it was obviously a ship log of some sort. Inputting information into the terminal as she made her way to the Arena, she was immediately pushed back away from the door by some sort of barrier. Landing on her butt, she winced lightly as she picked up her terminal and put it in her pocket. Shinji, again, no doubt. He really enjoyed obstructing her because... why?

Turning away from the Arena, she marched off to find Shinji and make him remove the barrier. Finding him would be the difficult part. What if he was already in the Arena? That would mean trying to dispel the barrier. As she walked to the shoe lockers, Shinji started coming downstairs from the second floor. Turning to face him, she felt herself bristle slightly.

“So, the bottom feeder is awake?” Shinji sneered. If she could recall right, Shinji had... an expression akin to horror on his face as she had fallen. “I'm guessing you tried to go to the Arena, according to how _pissed_ you look! Priceless!” And he laughed, which Yuri fought the urge to punch his face again. It was stupid how he was blocking her from doing what she should be doing, and trying to make her run about like a monkey.

“Whatever you did, undo it!” Yuri demanded.

“Nah. If you want it undone, I've put up _two _magic sigils. Go and find them, but prepare to be crushed like a cockroach when you enter the Arena!” With a haughty laugh, Shinji left the area and Yuri clenched her fist. Punching the nearby wall, shocked at her own motion, her hand suddenly hurt _really _bad. Gilgamesh materialized beside her, out of the view of the other Masters, and folded his arms across his chest.

“He thinks that mere _sigils_ will slow me down?” Well, it already did, but Yuri could only glare at Gilgamesh for that. “We'll show that mongrel about that...”


End file.
